Actress
1980
Bio:
Cicely Tyson, one of the most prominent talents in American theatre and film today, has illumined for many American important characters in our history. Her sensitive portrayals of such women as the mother of Kunte Kinte in Roots, a sharecropper’s wife in Sounder, and a 110-year-old former slave in the Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, have brought Miss Tyson widespread respect both personally and professionally. She has been honored with numerous awards, including an unprecedented two best actress emmys for her work in Miss Pittman, and was nominated for an emmy for her work in Roots, and an academy award for her work in Sounder. She is the co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Dance Theatre of Harlem, the first black classical ballet company, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Film Institute and the Humanities Prize.